Simple Paths Gone Astray
by Blossoms of Fiery Femininity
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission. She was supposed to be a simple girl. Life in general was supposed to be simple. But one kunoichi's story teaches a simple truth...life is NEVER simple! Changed rating to M for a few swear words...
1. The Simple Mission

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto! Not in any way, shape, or form. I let Kishimoto do all of the work, so I can lay around and read!

Author's note: time frame- after time skip to shippuden, but before the fourth shinobi war. So Sakura is 16.

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"Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"  
― Garth Nix

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Chapter 1

The Simple Mission

-o-O-o-

"It is a simple mission Sakura, so I expect you back in about a week", the Godaime continued to explain to her apprentice. "Just cure the fire Daimyo's son and return...knowing those upper class nobles it's probably just a minor cold."

"Hai shishou!" Sakura responded from her standing position in front of the hokages desk.

"Dismissed", the Godaime said to signal the end of the mission debriefing.

Sakura turned and began exiting the Hokages office leaving her shishou behind. As she departed she could distinctly hear her shishou mumbling something about sake, Shizune, and Genma.

Sakura knew with utmost certainty that Tsunade was going to take full advantage of Shizunes absence to get completely wasted. Shizune had arranged Tsunades appointment schedule for today so that she could enjoy some free time with Genma.

Normally Sakura would stick around and stop her shishou...but she had a mission to leave for in under two hours. So, she just carried on walking out of the hokage tower mentally saying an apology and pitying poor Shizune.

-O-o-O-

"Sakura-chan!" a familiar knucklehead blonde yelled in greeting to his teammate from a very familiar ramen stand, while next to him sat their old sensei.

"Hey, Naruto!" the greeting was returned followed by an "Ohayo Kakashi-sensei" as Sakura approached the two seated men.

"Hey Sakura-chan what are you up too? You want to join me and Kakashi-sensei for some ramen?" asked the hyper active, blonde ninja, known as Naruto Uzumaki, with said ramen making appearances as he talked.

"Naruto...nevermind. As much as I want to waste my time arguing with you about the importance of eating other things besides just ramen, as well as, the possibility of choking due to eating and talking at the same time...I can't. I'm about to head out on a mission"

Naruto almost seemed to pout at what Sakura said. "Wahhh! You get to go on a mission? How come?! I just asked Baa-chan for a mission and she said there weren't any available, yet she had one to give you! Why do you get one?" the blonde complained.

"Baka! I didn't ask for the mission and the only reason this one wasn't given to you is probably because it can only be done by a medic-nin! So stop whining and don't bother shishou"Sakura huffed. She loved Narutos enthusiastic exhuberance for life, but sometimes he could just get so annoying when it comes to his constant demands for missions.

Naruto just pouted and started to whine again. "But Sakura-chan..."

Suddenly Naruto was sent sailing out of the Ichiraku ramen stand to land in a heap on the road. Sakura was standing poised by the entrance with a smoking fist and a vein bulging in her forehead.

"My old student has become so scary...I fear she will be scarier than Tsunade-hime in no time" came from behind the pinkette. Sakura turned to her old sensei ,whose face was buried in a disturbingly familiar orange book. "Poor Naruto...Did you have to hit him so hard Sakura? One day you will end up giving him brain damage." Kakashi casually stated while his face remained pressed against his precious porn.

"He is already brain damaged." responded the kunoichi.

"Hey!" came an indignant shout from the black and orange heap lying on the ground.

"Ok, I've wasted too much time talking to you idiots. I have to get ready and leave for a mission right now. Kakashi-sensei you are in charge of my apartment while I'm gone. Don't argue...you owe me for taking care of the mess that you left your apartment in when you went on your last mission. And I should only be gone for a week." the pinkette said to her sensei.

"Mess? Me?...My apartments never a mess..." said her sensei with fake innocence and obliviousness.

Sakura just gave her sensei a pointed look followed by an eye roll and stated, "I'll be back in a week. My apartment better still be standing..." with that she continued her journey to said apartment.


	2. Obstacles On the Path

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto! Or any of the Naruto characters(places, jutsus, summonings, academies, villages, Kages...okay...I think you get my drift...)

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Chapter 2

Obstacles on the Path

-o-O-o-

Sakura was making quick work of the distance between her and Konoha. The mission was pointless, as had been expected.

In the beginning the fire Daimyo's son was an attention seeking spoilt brat. He hadn't really had any legitimate ailments, not even a small cold. However, while at the fire Daimyo's palace, Sakura got to know the son a little better and understood why he acted as he did. Apparently the teen was just trying to get his fathers attention, a feat made difficult by his fathers political position and the teens own status as the second son. Sakura really felt for the boy, which is probably why she had not flat out ousted him on his deceit.

"Poor kid. Although he was a real brat sometimes...underneath it all he's just like Naruto, trying to get some recognition..." Sakura mused out loud.

She continued to leap from tree to tree, while contemplating her recent mission and her blonde haired teammate.

Sakura gasped and flipped backwards from the branch she was standing on. She just barley avoided the kunai now embedded in the tree right where here head had been a split-second ago.

The limb under her feet suddenly became entangled in thin, metal wire as she moved quickly to avoid that as well. Jumping down to the ground below her Sakura got into a fighting position. She remained in the crouch from her jump, with her fists balled and hanging at her sides and shoulders tense.

"Well, well. Will you look at this? A Konoha Kunoichi! How nice...for us." A man jumped down from one of the trees as he spoke. He wore a headband with the cloud emblem sliced through by a single diagonal line.

Following him four more rough and dirty looking men appeared from their hiding spots and began to surround Sakura. "She looks yummy! With that pink hair, I wonder if she'd taste sweet like cotton candy." another ninja said with a perverted leer at Sakura's body. He had a headband as well, but his was displaying the rock emblem with a line running straight across it from the left to right.

Sakura quickly took notice of the other mens headbands...two from rain, and another from cloud. All of the headbands were scratched out, which only meant one thing...these were missing-nins she was dealing with.

"You know the rules Yasuo! I get first dibs!" the response came from the man who spoke to her first and was apparently directed at the rock missing-nin.

"What rules? We're missing-nin! We don't have rules!" shouted the man known as Yasuo back at the first cloud-nin.

As they were talking to each other, Sakura took advantage of their distraction and before anybody could react she quickly filled her right heel with chakra. She brought her heel a few feet up into the air before stomping it on the ground below her in quick secession. Her action caused the earth on all sides of her to explode outwards at the missing-nin surrounding her. The explosion of earth caused a thick cloud of dirt and chunks of rock and other matter to go flying into the air.

With the debri covering most of the area and making it difficult for the enemy ninja to see her Sakura jumped at the closest ninja she could find and surprised him with a chakra infused punch to his head. The ninjas head snapped to the right with a sickening crunch.

Another ninja rushed Sakura from behind, but she spun quickly and kicked him in the stomach sending him flying into the ninja behind him. With the amount of chakra behind her kick both of the enemy nin went crashing through three trees.

Sakura mentally counted off the missing-nins in her head **"Three down out of five...two left."**

Sakura got into a fight position, ready for the last two enemy nin to strike. She waited for a few seconds, scanning her surroundings with all of her senses, as well as, her chakra.

All of a sudden the hairs along her neck stood straight up and something like dread seemed to settle in her stomach as she heard a bizarre grating sound from within the very ground beneath her feet. The missing-nin from rock, Yasuo, was suddenly standing in front of her with his hands in a strange hand sign. A spear made out of rock shot up from the earth and as Sakura moved to dodge it, strings of electricity wrapped around her feet. She stood trapped in place while her body seized and trembled under the strain of the electrical currents. The spear of rock pierced her on the right side of her abdomen.

Both remaining ninja walked to stand in front of her as she remained held in place by the chords made out of electricity and the rock spear holding her up.

"You just couldn't be sweet could ya? Not sweet at all. What a waste." said the one known as Yasuo who had been leering at her earlier.

The ninja standing next to him was the one who had cast the jutsu for the electrical binds wrapped around her feet, the only cloud-nin left out of the two the group originally had. "The bitch took out the rest of our group! She deserves to die! We should torture her before she does" said nin spat in visible rage.

Sakura's watched the men approach her even as her vision started to become black around the edges. The medical side of her brain began to note the large hole in her body and the increasing loss of blood. With the electricity causing the muscles in her body to continuously spasm, her blood continued to rapidly poor from her stomach in spurts. **"Like a fountain"** her morbid mind supplied.

Sakura tried to focus and figure a way to get out of the situation she was in, but her mind started to feel fuzy and the darkness taking over her vision seemed so welcoming. Before she fell unconscious she saw one of the enemy nin raise a kunai ready to stab her. As he lowered the kunai she felt something inside of her shatter, reform and grow. A light seemed to flare around her...and then she was gone.


	3. Where Has The Path Lead

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto! Or any of the Naruto characters. If you see an unfamiliar character that you have never heard of before...well those are mine.

Sorry for the first few lines of mispelled words(they WERE done on PURPOSE) If they don't work, comment and let me know!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Where Has The Path Lead

-o-O-o-

"Hewo! Is you hair aways tha cowor? It's weally pretty! I wish my hair was tha cowor!" a childish voice spouted off as soon as the owner of said voice noticed Sakura waking up.

Sakura just stared in confusion at the cute little girl. "Umm...hello?" sakura responded to the little girl.

"Hi, my names Mina, but eveybody caws me Mina-chan!" the cute little red-haired, blue-eyed child said with a slight mispronunciation on every other word.

"Mina-chan! What are you doing in here!? Did you wake this young lady up? I told you to let her sleep!" a heavy set woman exclaimed in exasperation as she entered the room.

"But I wanted to see the lady with the pwetty pink hair..." Mina said with a slight whine to her voice and a puppy dog look on her face.

The brunette-haired, blue-eyed, heavy set woman just sighed and said" You can probably see her again later, but for now I think it is best you go and find your mother. Some of the grown-ups need to talk to our guest. She needs to know where she is, why she is here, and that we truly mean her no ill-will." At the end of her talk, when she said they meant Sakura no harm, the brunette specifically turned her attention to Sakura.

After the woman said that, Sakura allowed her body to visibly relax somewhat from the tense position she had assumed when the woman was talking about having Mina leave her. Sakura figured that if they were going to torture or kill her they wouldn't do it in front of a little child.

Mina pouted slightly, but did what she was told and left the room.

"Hello, my name is Kasumi. Sorry about Mina-chan, I hope she didn't startle you too badly when she woke you" said the woman now known as Kasumi.

"No, she was very cute and sweet" Sakura answered kindly.

"Good" Kasumi said. "Many people want to talk to you young lady, but I'm not letting them in until I'm sure you're feeling well enough for visitors. You just barely survived that terrible wound to your stomach. It took many of our medics to heal your wounds and yank you back from deaths door. You were knocking on it my dear" said Kasumi in a motherly chiding manner.

"Your medics saved my life? Arigatou. Please send them my thanks as well or allow me the opportunity to do so. They must be very good to heal such life threatening wounds" Sakura said the first part in genuine gratitude and the second in subtle curiousity.

"Yes, our medics are exceptional at what they do and I'm sure many will tell you that thanks aren't necessary; it is simply what they do" Kasumi replyed.

The door to the room opened and a tall brunette with blue-eyes and a lean body structure stepped in.

"Kasumi nee-chan is our guest feeling up to meeting with the council?" the brunette man asked.

"I don't know Genji. Why don't you ask the girl yourself otouto?" responded Kasumi to the man who was apparently her younger brother, Genji.

Genji turned to Sakura and in a respectful tone, said "My apologies, hello my name is Genji. Do you think you feel up to moving and talking at all?"

"Sure. I feel amazing actually! Your medics obviously did a beyond exceptional job!" Sakura replied.

Under the thoroughly scrutinizing eye of Kasumi Sakura demonstrated the truth behind her words. When she stood from the bedding she had been lying on, she experienced a moment of dizziness, but masked it well enough that Kasumi did not notice. She paused to take note of the outfit she was in and mourned for the loss of her favorite fighting outfit, that no doubt had been irreparably damaged in the fight with those missing-nin.

Sakura proceeded to follow Genji through the door after she repeated to Kasumi that she did indeed feel well enough to be moving around.

Genji led Sakura, with Kasumi following, down a hallway and passed a handful of doors. They reached what was apparently the entrance of the house. As they exited the home, Sakura barely heard Kasumi apologize and excuse herself to take care of some errands. She barely noticed as Kasumi departed, her whole attention was focused on the stunning site before her.

Behind Sakura lay the house they had just exited and all around were many more buildings similar in structure and make. What was shocking though was what or where they were all built. It seemed that a whole village had been built inside the earth, or some kind of cave. Indeed rock seemed to surround the village on all sides. The only area not covered by rock was the sky.

Genji, apparently catching her stare, commented off-handedly "Yeah, it's a pretty unique place isn't it?"

"Yes!" Sakura exclaimed in obvious awe. "What is this place?"

"This is our village." Genji simply replied.

"I've never heard of a village like this." Sakura responded.

"Good. That is what the people here want. Those who have lived here through the last few decades have worked hard to prevent the outside world from attaining knowledge about our existence." Genji said.

"Why are the people here hiding? And how does a group this large even remain hidden...for...what did you say...decades?" Sakura asked the questions that quickly popped into her head.

"As much as I would love to answer those questions and the many more you undoubtedly have...I believe the council would prefer to answer such questions." Genji stated calmly.

So, Sakura pushed down the questions she really wanted to ask and followed Genji. She hoped he was right and she would get her answers. She needed answers, not just to the questions she had asked him, but also to the big question...why was she here?

* * *

Author note: Sorry for the boring stuff. I'm just setting the stage for the true story plot...and odds are it's not going to be anything like you expect. It hopefully won't be anything too far fetched from the Naruto universe. If I play my cards right...it will just add more twists, turns and possibilities to the universe, plot and characters created by Kishimoto.


	4. A Not So Simple Village

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto! Or any of the Naruto characters. If you see an unfamiliar character that you have never heard of before...well those are mine.

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Chapter 4

A Not So Simple Village

-o-O-o-

The village was big. It could rival any of the hidden shinobi villages in regards to its size.

As they journeyed through the village Sakura couldn't help but notice that it was more similair to Konoha or Suna in more ways than just its size.

Sakura had the inkling that this village wasn't solely full of civilians. There were just subtle signs here and there...a man whose reflexs were a little too fast as he spun to avoid another man sprinting by him in a hurry. A woman with two scars criss-crossing the bridge of her nose, in a way VERY similar to Sakura's old academy teacher, Iruka. People here and there with the occasional weapon...a katana across the back of one man...a Tessen held demurely in one womans hands...another man with a pouch around his waist; that was making familiar, metallic, clinking sounds.

Sakura wasn't sure what to think...the possibility that this might be a hidden ninja village unknown to the rest of the shinobi world...

Could anything good come from this? And what did it mean for her specifically, now that she new they existed?

The last thought had her ready to bolt, but her curiosity kept her in place behind Genji. Plus, what were the odds she'd escape if this village really was full of ninja?

* * *

When she had heard 'council' she thought along the lines of the only two village councils she had ever witnessed. She imagined this villages council would be like those of either Konoha or Suna...meaning a bunch of wrinkly, old crones, physically trapped in the present with their minds always stuck in the past.

However, what greeted her as she entered the large council chamber was not at all what she expected. There was only one old woman on the council, although given she looked probably as old as Konoha's own Danzo, Homura, and Koharu put together. The woman looked ancient. Sakura figured she was either the oldest living woman she had ever seen in her life or she had aged REALLY fast.

Sakura's gaze moved on to the other occupants of the room, they were the ones that truly shocked her. Two of the members were probably no older than her, looking in their late teens. Another member looked to be in his thirties. They all lacked the foreboding feeling that Konoha's and Suna's council members tended to practically ooze.

"Hello, so good that you could join us. We are very excited to make your acquaintance...miss..." one of the teens spoke. He was a red-haired boy with green eyes and seemed very friendly, although he spoke in a formal manner expected of someone older than himself.

Sakura paused for a split-second, contemplating whether to answer the obvious question truthfully or use a fake name instead. "Sakura. Sakura Haruno." The words that came out of her mouth were not those her mind had chosen to speak. Her confusion must have shown on her face, because the council member who looked to be in his thirties stated "Shameful. We treat her like a guest, save her life and she tries to lie straight to our faces!" he said this in a slightly scornful manner as he stared at Sakura.

Sakura started to panic and wonder what the hell was going on. She began to think the worst. **"This must be some kind of interrogation and they are using a jutsu of some sort to make it so I can only speak the truth. They tricked me!"**

Before she could freak out anymore, the second of the two teenage members of the council spoke up. "Well, can you blame her Osamu? She is a kunoichi in a strange place, with people who are unfamiliar to her. She has no idea whether we are her friends or her potential enemies. That is why we needed to talk to her in the first place, to explain that we mean her no harm."

The teenage girl who had just spoken had brunette hair and blue eyes. She looked very similar to Genji and his older sister Kasumi. Sakura pondered the idea that they could be related.

"Miyoko is right Osamu. The girl is a ninja and therefore intelligently remains distrustful and wary. Would we not be the same if we were in her position?" the red-haired, green-eyed, teenage boy spoke again.

"I suppose such transgressions can be over looked." the man now known as Osamu spoke plainly, seemingly placated by what was said from the two teens.

"Now, miss Haruno I am sorry we did not forewarn you about the enchantments placed upon this chamber. It had simply slipped our minds, because we are so accustomed to these chambers. Normally everyone who enters this room are already aware of the jutsus laced within the walls and the very foundation. This chamber is the oldest structure in our village and was built at the very founding of the village. Every member of our village is aware of the history, legends and such that concern the councils chamber. So, I am sorry for the little incident moments ago, could I please ask that you remain honest with us from hence forward? I promise you we mean no harm to you." the teenage boy spoke with such honesty that Sakura immediately nodded her head in response to his question.

"Gomenasai. I am very sorry for my attempt to deceive you. I truly do appreciate what your people have done for me by saving my life." As sakura said this she bowed her head in a show of respect and a subtle apology for her previous action.

"No worries! Now let's move on to why exactly you are here, because we would all love to know!" Miyoko exclaimed, throwing away some of her formality and appearing like any other girl her age who is excited about something.

"Um...excuse me, what did you mean by 'we would all love to know'? You don't know why I'm here?" Sakura asked really confused now.

"Well two of our men were ordered to go get you, but we're not really sure why..." Miyoko admitted.

"Who sent out the order?" Sakura asked in polite curiosity.

"I did."

* * *

Mwahaha! Cliffy! My first evil action(leaving my readers hanging) as a fanfiction author!

...so who ordered Sakura to be brought to the village? Why? What is the story behind the village?...You will have to wait for your questions to be answered in the next chapter! The next chapter will truly show readers just where this story is headed.


	5. Simply Easier to Show Than to Tell

Disclaimer: Come on if I seriously owned Naruto Sakura would be soooooo much stronger and way more important!

Author's note: Sorry! The first few chapters were posted one everyday, but this chapter got delayed a few days, because...well I had to help an old lady cross the street and then she invited me in for dango to thank me (and I mean I couldn't be rude and refuse)! Then as I was returning from the old ladies house...(rambling)..black cat..(rambling)...blender...(rambling)...turkey dinner...(rambling)...had to carry him 3 miles on my back, and so that is why I was late updating!

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Chapter 5

Simply Easier to Show Than to Tell

-o-O-o-

"I did." stated the council member, who had not spoken or moved at all since Sakura had entered the room. Sakura had completely forgotten about the ancient woman. Who could blame her? The woman had been so still she could've almost been mistaken as a statue and completely overlooked.

All of the remaining council members turned slightly to the ancient woman after she had spoken.

"Now you are willing to share with us, the reasoning behind your urgent demands for us to send members of our village to rescue this girl and bring her back here, Chieko-sama?" Osamu asked with a slightly arched eyebrow.

The woman stayed silent and still for a moment as she seemed to study Sakura with her filmy white eyes. After a moment she seemed to smile slightly. She responded to Osamu's question while still looking at Sakura. "I can share with you my reasoning, but reason without wisdom or understanding is simply a shower of wasted words. Therefore, I will not tell you my reasoning..." the old woman, Chieko stated.

Everything seemed to explode as the other council members started spewing out questions and complaints. After a few moments Chieko raised her hand to silence the other council members, which was fairly unsuccessful, until she spoke in an authoritative voice that immediately silenced everyone. "I will not tell you...I will show you." As she said this her eyes opened wider and seemed to emit a pale golden glow.

The next thing Sakura knew the walls of the councils chamber began to fade and she found herself standing alone in utter darkness. She could not see the council members anywhere in the surrounding darkness, nor the tiniest hint or outline of any other object or being.

A few seconds after the darkness consumed everything, gold kanji began to appear and spread like cracks, dividing the dark expanse. It spread rapidly and in the impenetrable darkness the kanji seemed to glow.

The golden kanji looked like thin chains that wrapped around her on all sides.

"It's beautiful in a strange way, isn't it?"

Sakura spun quickly to face the direction the voice had come from. There, standing behind her, was Chieko. Chieko stood with both hands on the top of a cane that she was lightly leaning on.

"Kind of. What is this exactly? Where are we? And where are the rest of the council that was with us" Sakura asked feeling unusually calm, although seriously confused.

"This is my clans kekkai genkai. Physically we're all still in the chambers. Mentally, however, we have all been drawn into my kekkai genkai Kusarisoutei(chain binding or binding chain). The rest of the council has been drawn into my kekkai genkai as well. They are seeing what they need to see, to answer their questions and remind themselves of things that have long been forgotten, but must now be remembered. You will see what you must as well, but some of the things you need to see are not necessary for them to view." Chieko spoke in a way that was very much like a riddle to Sakura.

"Now, before I show you anything, I want you to seriously consider whether or not you truly want the answers to your questions. Sometimes what we have learned changes us forever. Our knowledge can mold who we become. It can change us in ways we never could have imagined...You have the choice to back out now Sakura Haruno. You can walk away from this village and return to your home. You can pretend you just imagined everything you've seen here and walk away with all of your unanswered questions. Or you can journey on and be molded by the knowledge given to you." Chieko spoke in all seriousness. The way she spoke had Sakura convinced that what she was offering to show her was going to be something...life changing.

Sakura felt overwhelmed by the choice presented to her. '**What could she show me that could change who I am? I like who I've become...Tsunade shishou's apprentice...a powerful medic-nin...a close friend of Naruto's...a strong kunoichi...I feel pride in who I am now...what if I lose that? What if I loose everything I've fought so hard to become!? I want to know why I was brought here and I want to know more about this village...I want to know all the answers to so many questions I have...but is it worth the possibility that I lose myself?'**

_"Important information in your hands… can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and the village."_ Sakura remembered that line spoken by Morino Ibiki during her first chuunin exam. _"__Because… in times, information is more important than life… and on missions and on the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it."_ Morino ibiki's speech during their chuunin exams was hitting very close to home in this particular situation.

"_I never give up... I never go back on my word... thats my ninja way!"_ **'Naruto would say yes. He would choose to risk who he is for the greater good of the village."**

"_I never give up..."_ That one phrase of Naruto's seemed to echo in Sakura's mind, it, combined with Ibiki's speech, made the choice for Sakura.

"Please, show me what I need to see. I want the answers and I am willing to stand strong despite the consequences." Sakura spoke with the utmost confidence and surety. Her body and her voice were strong and confident and did not once waiver.

Chieko, who had been watching the girl as she weighed her options, was reassured by the confidence and finality the girl exhibited. She did not have to ask if the girl was sure...it was written in her very body language...this girl was NOT going to change her mind.

"Okay then...let's start at the beginning...what do you know about the sage of six paths...?"

* * *

Author's notes: I'm sorry I rushed through getting this out here, because I know it's been a few days since my last chapter post...I know I said the true heart of the story would show in this chapter, but I have to actually take my time and really thank about how to present the heart of my story.

Yeah...I went there! The stories and legends surrounding the sage of six **paths** and his sons seemed interesting to me...so it will play a BIG role in this story: Simple **Paths** Gone Astray...


	6. A New Traveler, An old Path

Disclaimer: Do NOT own Naruto...sadly enough...

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Chapter 6

A New Traveler, An old Path

-o-O-o-

* * *

After what felt like centuries they were back in the councils chambers.

Sakura felt numb. She barely noticed as the council members all bowed their heads to her. Sakura hadn't entirely missed the respect and awe that flashed in their eyes, but she didn't really care about that fact at the moment.

She was Haruno Sakura...

She WAS Haruno Sakura...but it now felt like...like...she wasn't Haruno Sakura anymore...

She wanted to scream and pull her hair out, or just curl-up and cry, but all she could do was stand there. There was nothing...just the black of Chieko's kasurisoutei, but without the beautiful gold kanji to penetrate the darkness. She felt like she was both falling and floating. Like everything was too loud...and too quite.

Chieko was there, right in front of her face, looking at her with sympathy. Sakura wanted to lash out at the old woman. She wanted to rip her face off. She felt like a cornered animal.

She felt the anger, but she knew it was unjustified. Chieko had warned her...she had said that the knowledge might change her...that it might warp who she was...twist and mold her.

But it hadn't done those things...

It had destroyed her.

The woman who had walked in this room was forever changed and she would never be THAT Sakura again.

It was no ones fault, but her own. This was the path she had chosen.

Chieko was doing her duty.

This village had done its duty.

Now it was her promise, her duty to be fulfilled.

"Sakura-sama?" Chieko said her name like a question. The question was are you alright, but she couldn't say the question out loud, because even she knew how idiotic and hollow it would sound...

Sakura nodded to show she heard Chieko. Sakura gave Chieko a small painful smile, then she turned to address everyone.

"You are the council of this village. You have witnessed parts of the past that have been forgotten by every other person, be they ninja or civilian. You have also seen a glimpse of what is to come...we now know that the fourth shinobi war is coming...I know that you have always kept this village a secret from the rest of the world and to protect that secrecy you have avoided all of the previous shinobi wars. This war that is coming...if lost, it will most likely reach even your people. If needed...if there is no other option...if I fail...will you and your people join the rest of the villages in this coming war? "

* * *

"I am sorry Sakura-sama. I think it is a foolish decision they have made...Osamu I can understand, but Miyoko and Takashi..." Chieko seemed genuinely upset by the choice of her fellow council members. "Maybe I will be able to change their minds before the war begins." Chieko continued.

"Don't worry about it Chieko-sama" Sakura ignored the way Chieko tried to argue her use of "sama" at the end of her name and continued, "It is my greatest hope that they are not needed in this coming war...but with the bijuu...I just asked, because you never know and because I thought that some of this villages kekkai genkai's could prove very useful in the coming war. But, do not worry...you have done so much already...you make your ancestors proud."

Chieko seemed about to say something in return, but instead she just smiled and bowed her head slightly. "Arigatou, Sakura-sama."

Sakura barely paid any attention to the 'sama' added to her name, because she knew that there was no use in arguing with the older woman on the issue.

Sakura was about to say something, but stopped when Chieko suddenly gasped. The old womans eyes turned gold like they had when she was using her Kusarisoutei, but this time was a little different. After having Chieko explain more about her kekkai genkai she knew what this meant. Chieko was seeing something that was occurring in the present or about to occur in the future.

After some time passed Chieko's eyes returned to normal. The older woman turned to Sakura and said "We need to get you back to your village, NOW."

* * *

Yeah...I'm not sure how much I want to give away to you readers yet...


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